All posts tagged "adam kinzinger"

'Bald JD Vance meme' got me barred from US: Tourist

An internet meme making fun of Vice President JD Vance was reportedly enough probable cause for the Department of Homeland Security to deny a Norwegian tourist entry into the United States.

Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) posted the meme to social media, writing, "Would be a shame if this picture spread again. Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme.'"

The meme portrayed a digitally-altered version of the vice president with a bloated face, bald head, and sporting a creepy, fixed stare.

As reported in The Daily Beast, 21-year-old Mads Mikkelsen — who shares the same name as a Danish actor — told his local Norwegian newspaper Nordlys that he had arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey when immigration officials stopped him for questioning.

Mikkelsen told the publication that without explanation, officers placed him in a holding cell and quizzed him “about drug trafficking, terrorist plots, and right-wing extremism."

Agents then allegedly threatened Mikkelsen with a $5,000 fine if he didn't let them scroll through his phone. That's where they found the Vance meme plus a photo of the tourist "with a homemade wooden pipe," both of which the agents flagged.

The Norwegian said he explained that the photos were a "joke," but they still "searched him and forced him to give blood samples and document his fingerprints.“

Mikkelsen said the incident made him feel like "a terrorist suspect."

The report added that it wasn't clear if Mikkelsen "provoked immigration officials in some way. However, he did note that he was exhausted having just deplaned a long flight across the Atlantic Ocean.“

Mikkelsen said he was ushered onto a flight back to Tromsø, a Norwegian city that is north of the Arctic Circle.

The Daily Beast reported that DHS did not respond to emailed questions about the alleged incident.

Read The Daily Beast story here.

CA governor should call up remaining troops to thwart Trump: Ex-GOP lawmaker

Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to call up the rest of his National Guard troops in an effort to thwart President Donald Trump's autocratic ambitions.

Kinzinger, who served as a former lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, told CNN Tuesday about the tactic Newsom could use to tamp down Trump's "provocative" actions.

"Look, there are 4,000 now activated California National Guard — and this is an important point, and I know it's in the weeds — but once they're activated by the president against the consent of the governor, they are now federal troops. They're U.S. Army."

Kinzinger said that renders them "basically pointless" with "no law enforcement ability" unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act or the governor gives his consent.

Kinzinger continued, "And then on top of that, to deploy the U.S. Marines when you have 4,000 troops that are not being used, is simply an intimidation tactic. It's meant to either appear tough or, frankly, to stir things up...I think the governor needs to activate the rest of his National Guard, or at least consider it, is because what that does... it now puts the Guard under the control of the governor. It would force the president to then overrule the governor, which could set up, potentially, something for the Supreme Court."

Kinzinger asserted that since there's not an "overwhelming amount of protesters," the governor can activate the guard himself if protests get "out of control."

In a new Substack article, Kinzinger wrote that the "irony" of the situation "should hit everyone across the political spectrum."

"Conservatives often argue that the Guard is a modern embodiment of the constitutional 'militia'—a counterbalance to federal power. But what kind of militia can be seized by the very federal power it’s supposed to balance?" he wrote.

Watch the clip below via CNN.

People Trump once thought he controlled have turned on him: former GOP lawmaker

President Donald Trump, known for craving total control and adulation, is at a loss now that powerful people he once thought were his pawns have turned against him, argued former GOP lawmaker Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).

In a new article, Kinzinger wrote, "Trump is surrounded by people he once thought he controlled. And now that they’re acting with independence, he doesn’t know what to do."

"The prime example," according to Kinzinger, "is his fraying relationship with Elon Musk—the world’s richest man and, until recently, Trump’s 'First Buddy.'” Musk publicly turned on Trump's "one big beautiful bill" after being told he no longer had unfettered access to the White House.

But, Musk is just the tip of the iceberg of "disloyals," Kinzinger wrote.

" Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett—his own nominee—has committed the cardinal sin of thinking for herself," by siding with liberal justices in several key decisions, Kinzinger said.

"Then there’s Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair Trump himself picked—now branded 'a FOOL' and 'a major loser.' Why? Because Powell won’t slash interest rates to juice the economy."

"And overseas, Trump’s strongest man-crush—Vladimir Putin—is refusing to play along," Kinzinger wrote, adding, "No, Donald—Putin hasn’t changed. He’s just not taking orders."

Kinzinger claimed that far from being a strongman or a real leader, Trump is just "a man throwing a tantrum because the world won’t revolve around him. And in each case, these individuals—whether misguided or not—are proving one thing: they have agency. Trump, meanwhile, just has rage."

Kinzinger concluded that what Trump "wants—what he’s always wanted—is loyalty, submission, and applause." When that doesn't happen, he calls them names like "loser," "weak," and "crazy."

Read Adam Kinzinger's full article here.

'Bright side': Ex-GOP lawmaker says Trump's tariffs could be 'large awakening' to his base

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) released an "Emergency Video" to his Substack readers Thursday about President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs that he claimed could finally wake up even Trump's most ardent supporters.

"This will show the American people that his ideas and his thoughts on this are insane, and also his thoughts on other things are insane," Kinzinger said. "So, if there is a bright side, it's that this could be the beginning of a large awakening of his base, and generally, the American people."

On Wednesday, after the markets closed, Trump held a "liberation day" celebration in the Rose Garden to announce he was signing a “historic executive order instituting reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world.” During his speech, Trump falsely claimed that a lack of tariffs directly led to the Great Depression in 1929.

"It would have never happened if they had stayed with the tariff policy; it would have been a much different story," Trump claimed. "They tried to bring back tariffs to save our country, but it was gone. It was gone. It was too late. Nothing could have been done."

ALSO READ: 'Not much I can do': GOP senator gives up fight against Trump's tariffs

Kinzinger called Trump's action, "one of the dumbest self-owns that this country has done in a very long time."

"But here's the thing," Kinzinger said, "He's been talking about this forever. Now, MAGA gets to see. Maybe it does work. Maybe this goes against everything, any economics system, economics professor, or theorist, or anybody that's ever studied economies, or, frankly, any past history of economies. Smoot-Hawley. Maybe this goes against that, and maybe this is a miracle. That would be great! All of a sudden, everybody gets a great, high-paying job at a factory if they want it."

Kinzinger then issued a warning: "But, if it's not — if this is going to damage the economy — MAGA now owns this. Donald Trump now owns this. And the damage that's going to be done is on his hands, and we can never forget that. We can never forgive that."

Kinzinger predicted that once it appears his plans have irrevocably soured and the U.S. has plunged into a recession, "Trump's going to find some made-up reason why he's changed his mind on tariffs, and he's going to play like that was his five-dimensional chess game he's been playing all along. But it's not true. He thinks this is going to work. He really thinks...the economy's going to shine."

Watch Kinzinger's Substack video.

'Political pathogen' of Trump 'fever' may finally be breaking: Ex-GOP lawmaker

Former Republican lawmaker Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) posited in a new Substack piece that the nearly decade-long fever pervading the GOP thanks to a "virus called Donald Trump" is finally showing signs of breaking.

Kinzinger described this insidious "political pathogen" as causing "a fever so disorienting that many cannot see his malevolence."

But Kinzinger wrote that the president's failure to shift the economy into high gear as he promised on the campaign trail has many voters wiping the scales from their eyes.

In recent days, stocks have see-sawed with news of Trump's massive tariffs on "friendly countries," and the price of eggs and other groceries have remained unaffordable for some average Americans.

Kinzinger quoted Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, who claimed in a recent cable news appearance, "I think what we are starting to see is the very beginning of buyer’s remorse setting in.”

ALSO READ: ‘I miss lynch mobs’: The secretary of retribution's followers are getting impatient

"Despite his claims of a sweeping mandate, Trump was elected for one primary reason: to improve the economy," Kinzinger wrote. "Yet, just two months into his presidency, a CNN poll shows that 54% of Americans believe he’s failing at this task. Alarmed by the consequences of his policies, 61% now oppose his tariff schemes, and only 46% think he is doing a good job overall."

Kinzinger cited focus groups conducted by policy analyst Rich Thau, even "moderate" Trump voters in the Great Lakes region "see the chaos in Washington, the tumbling stock market, and persistently high prices and realize this isn’t what they signed up for."

He quoted one focus group participant who lamented, “I don’t think anyone would have voted for him if they expected to see what we’re seeing now.”

Still another participant claimed she was “almost scared to watch the news.”

And Kinzinger said Arab and Muslim voters in Michigan expressed such feelings of betrayal at Trump's musings about turning Gaza into a seaside resort that it felt like "a slap in the face."

Kinzinger concluded by suggesting that those not infected by the "virus" move beyond the "'I told you so'" gloating phase to welcoming the Trump voters to a new state of political health.

Read the Substack piece here.

'It is despicable': Ex-GOP lawmaker calls Trump's latest move 'an act of desperation'

The Trump administration made the decision to cut off military aid to Ukraine because Volodymyr Zelensky wasn't meant to defeat the Russian army and humiliate Vladimir Putin, according to a new Substack by former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).

In fact, Kinzinger argued, Zelensky is in the process of doing the impossible -- defeating Russia -- and Donald Trump can't allow that to happen.

"As the war in Ukraine reaches its third year, it is undeniable that Ukraine is not just surviving but winning," Kinzinger wrote. "What was supposed to be a three-day war for Russia has instead turned into one of the greatest military failures of the modern era. The Russian military has suffered over 800,000 casualties—dead, wounded, and missing—gutting its combat effectiveness and forcing it into increasingly desperate tactics."

ALSO READ: 'Absolutely unconscionable': Ex-Republican demands Trump removed from office after fight

Trump suspended the aid shortly after last week's disastrous sit-down with Zelensky in which he accused the Ukrainian president of not being "grateful" enough for his help. Trump ultimately kicked Zelensky out of the White House, saying he wasn't "ready" for peace.

Putin, however, is ready for the war to stop, Kinzinger argued, and Trump wants credit for making it happen.

"The Trump administration’s decision to cut off military aid is not based on strategy or principle. It is an act of desperation," Kinzinger wrote. "Trump and his circle are watching Ukraine systematically dismantle Russia’s war machine, and they are desperate for a cease fire at any cost… Trump wants his peace prize."

Kinzinger continued, "They know that an increasing Ukrainian capacity would leave Russia in ruins and Putin humiliated. So they are trying to do the only thing they can—force Ukraine onto a more 'level playing field' by starving it of the weapons and resources it needs to finish the job. This is not just cynical. It is a betrayal of everything the United States claims to stand for. It is despicable, un-American, and a stain on our country’s reputation. It’s politics over lives, and history will not be kind."

Read the full article here.

Former GOP lawmaker marvels at 'rich irony' of outrage over Harris' snub of Vance

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) pointed out the "rich irony" Tuesday of Republican outrage over Kamala Harris' reported failure to invite the new second family for a home tour.

CBS cited anonymous sources to report, "Vice President Kamala Harris has not extended an invitation for a formal sit-down or tour" to incoming Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha.

Conservatives took to social media to slam Harris for lacking civility, which prompted Kinzinger to fume, "Today's rich irony: Harris didn't invite JD Vance to the naval observatory. So MAGA is furious. Oh by the way in 2020 Trump didn't even do a Transition."

Kinzinger concluded that hypocrisy "is a feature" of the GOP.

ALSO READ: Fox News has blood on its hands as Trump twists the knife

Kinzinger also criticized conservative commentator Tom Fitton for questioning Harris' "class."

"Your dude didn’t invite Biden in 2020 and didn’t even do a transition so honestly shut up." Kinzinger wrote.

Trump and his MAGA devotees refused to recognize Biden as the incoming president after promoting the falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen. An angry mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to stop Congress from certifying Biden's win, after Trump told them to "fight like hell."

Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on J6, which was released in the wee hours of Tuesday, found that the DOJ believed Trump would have been convicted of fomenting the riot had he not won the presidency in 2024.

CBS News reported that questions about the vice presidential home from Usha Vance "were initially rebuffed by a Harris political appointee. But there has since been communication between the Vance team and Navy aides who oversee the residence. Before Christmas, Navy officials provided an overview of the house to discuss the layout of the residence, logistics and practicalities of the move-in, and to help answer any questions the Vances had, a person familiar with the call said."

Read the CBS report here.

Former GOP lawmaker who spoke at DNC flags moment that 'will be written about for years'

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), whose speech at the Democratic National Convention served as a highlight of the event due to the GOP veteran's across-the-aisle endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, on Saturday highlighted a development from the DNC that he says "will be written about for years."

Kinzinger, who is said to be facing an "uphill battle" as he tries to change Republican minds to support Harris, took to social media over the weekend to talk about what happened.

"Something happened at the DNC that will be written about for years," the ex-lawmaker said. "Donald Trump has given up traditional Republican ground, and the Democrats and Kamala snatched it up. Trump gave up being the defense candidate by becoming weak and panicked, and embracing Russia."

ALSO READ: Donald Trump exploits AP photo error for new $99 'Save America' book

Kinzinger went on to say that that Harris "said she wants to make the most lethal military ever and stand up to dictators."

"Trump gave up being the proud American party. They hate America which is obvious to all but the most loyal MAGA. Kamala showed her pride in the country AS IT IS TODAY, not pining for the 1950s," he added on X. "Trump gave up being the border hawk. While this will take time to recognize, I believe cracks have started. Kamala reminded everyone that Trump tanked the hawkish border bill, and committed to signing it (in front of a loudly cheering crowd)."

Kinzinger continued, saying, "Trump ceded the ground of opportunity and vision. His constant whining and focus on the past. Kamala showed a forward looking vision."

"Trump gave up law and order. Not just on Jan 6, but attacking The FBI, questioning the CIA, and calling for violence," he said. "And now an awards ceremony for Jan 6 criminals. Kamala showed appreciation for police and stressed her role as a prosecutor."

In conclusion, according to Kinzinger, "The Dems are now on their way to being the Patriotic, USA chanting, America loving party, and the Republicans look like the bitter old men who are angry that the country is vibrant and dynamic."

"What a flip in record time," he said, adding, "A bad plan to keep the GOP relevant."

Ex-GOP congressman faced 'uphill battle' to change Republicans' minds at DNC: analyst

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) was one of several anti-Trump Republicans who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this year to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris — and particularly notable was how he tried to convince fellow Republicans to join him, wrote Philip Bump for The Washington Post on Friday.

Specifically, he wrote, Kinzinger tried to break Republicans' preconceptions of patriotism.

“I’ve learned something about the Democratic Party, and I want to let my fellow Republicans in on the secret: The Democrats are as patriotic as us,” Kinzinger told the audience. “They love this country just as much as we do. And they are as eager to defend American values at home and abroad as we conservatives have ever been.”

This matters, wrote Bump, and the polls tell a stark story. He pointed to polling released in June by YouGov of how Americans viewed Democrats and Republicans. Among the terms given to respondents — who were asked if they applied to the parties— were "patriotic" and "anti-American."

About 20 percent of Americans said they believed the Democratic Party was patriotic. For the GOP, that number was about a third.

ALSO READ: Donald Trump exploits AP photo error for new $99 'Save America' book

"Independents were twice as likely to describe the Republican Party as 'patriotic' than they were to say the same of the Democratic Party," noted Bump. "Democrats were less likely to describe their own party as 'patriotic' than Republicans were theirs."

Similarly, polls showed that historically Republicans are much likelier to identify as proud to be an American.

"We understand this intuitively, that Republican perceptions of patriotism don’t comport with Democratic perceptions," wrote Bump. "Democrats make room for criticism of the country with an eye toward improvement or addressing problems. Republicans are more likely to focus on America’s international primacy — except, as is often the case with Trump, when amplifying America’s perceived shortcomings is a useful political argument."

Kinzinger, then, wants his fellow Republicans who need a permission structure to vote for Harris, to understand that Democrats' critical analysis of America and desire for reform is also patriotism, said Bump.

"Kinzinger’s fight was an uphill one. But it’s easy to see the intent," Bump wrote. "If he could get Republicans to admit that Democrats are motivated by patriotism and by love of county, he could erode the idea that their criticisms of Trump’s 2020 response were merely partisan. And if Republicans reconsider Trump’s actions that led to the Capitol riot? Well, maybe they’d reconsider voting to return Trump to power."